Overall Reflection for the Trip
After this 7 days 6 nights OELP trip, I have indeed learnt a lot in terms of knowledge and also valuable life lessons.
When we were in Shanghai and as compared to when we were in Yangzhou, I could see the stark contrast between the two cities. We took a boat ride at both places and there were a couple of differences I noticed. Firstly, the boat ride at Shanghai’s Huang PuJiang had more vibrant colours in the city and the lights were more coordinated in the sense that one building would light up after another. Secondly, the buildings in Shanghai were a lot taller than those in Yangzhou and according to the tour guide, the buildings in Yangzhou were not allowed to be taller than 9 stories in order to preserve its heritage. Also, while we were on the boat ride in Yangzhou, I noticed the people there were dancing, showing how relaxed and carefree their lifestyle was. This was the exact opposite of the fast paced lifestyle of the people in Shanghai which amazed me.
When we were in Yangzhou, we also visited扬大附中东部分校初中学部，which was one of the top schools in Yangzhou. I used to think that Singapore’s education system was already a very stressful one and that for students my age, we were already facing a lot of stress. However, after the short 2 day immersion with this school, I now think that Singapore’s Education system is nothing like what I thought it was before. Yangzhou’s education system was so much more stressful, due to a couple of reasons.
Firstly, their school hours. They have lessons in the morning from 8 to around 12 after which they will then have their lunch breaks before they continue with lessons from 2 to 6. Secondly, because some of them stay far from school, they stay in the school hostel and they only get to meet their family once a week, which I personally admire them a lot for as I am the kind that is very attached to my family. My buddy, who stays in the hostel, shared with me how much she misses her family but she has no choice but to study hard due to the large competition they have in China. She only hopes that she does well in her studies so she can get a good job in the future and repay her parents. After hearing this, I felt really touched as Singaporeans are always complaining about how they do not have this and that whereas the students in China were so mature and already thinking ahead for their future. She also added on saying that due to the late school hours, she sometimes only get 5 hours of sleep and if there was a lot of homework on that day, maybe just 3 hours of sleep! Lastly, in lessons,I noticed that the students all maintain a good sitting posture with their back straight and hands on the table. They do not fidget about and pay close attention to whatever the teacher says. Whenever the teacher asks a question, the students would shout out the answers with confidence whereas in my school, or, at least my class, we stay silent for most part of the class.
Another thing I noticed were the facilities they had in their classrooms. They were using chalk boards and touch screen projectors which I could see aided in their learning a lot. I also noticed their toilets. Their toilets were very different compared to those in our school. After this trip, I have definitely also learnt to appreciate the clean toilets we have in Singapore and of course not forgetting our school toilet cleaners!
In a nutshell, I have learnt many priceless lessons and gained many experiences that are hard to come by in life and I am very appreciative towards the teachers who made this possible as well as my supportive parents. I have also learnt how lucky I am to be a Singaporean student as I would definitely not be able to handle that kind of stress the students in China face and am also proud to be a Singaporean as we have made an effort in trying to preserve our heritage which is important as Historic buildings are physical links to our past.
Neo Xin Xuan (14) 2G
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